Ipodding into isolation
When do you Ipod?
We all know the origins. People used the Walkman to create their own ‘private world’ when commuting from work. No longer did humans have to acknowledge other humans. Whilst wearing those headphones, you are essentially giving everyone else the finger. Metaphorically.
Next time you’re at uni, walking down the road or on a bus: take a look how many people have headphones on. I saw an acquaintance from another class walking past short loan today. I went to give him the eye-brow raise that means “hey” but he just kept on walking without the slightest notice. It raises questions of how people use Ipods and other entertainment media. For other reasons other than entertainment I'm sure.
If you didn’t know any better you’d think mobile phones and Ipods were the same product. According to the Ipod website, the latest model has “music, audiobooks, podcasts, photos, video, contacts, calendars, games, clocks and locks”. Not the same as mobiles exactly, but they are heading in that direction.
Name the next word in the list: Walkmans, telephones, mobile phones, Ipod, ----?
Pod-phone perhaps? Any ideas, send them to Apple.
My point: technology is getting narrow-minded. ‘Technology’ and ‘functionality’ seem to go hand in hand nowadays. What that means for future entertainment media I’m not sure. Will the overall product quality be diluted because manufacturers try and add bits and pieces on the end? Is it the case presently? I liken it to a sports team. Do you pick specialists or players who can do a range of roles adequately?
We all know the origins. People used the Walkman to create their own ‘private world’ when commuting from work. No longer did humans have to acknowledge other humans. Whilst wearing those headphones, you are essentially giving everyone else the finger. Metaphorically.
Next time you’re at uni, walking down the road or on a bus: take a look how many people have headphones on. I saw an acquaintance from another class walking past short loan today. I went to give him the eye-brow raise that means “hey” but he just kept on walking without the slightest notice. It raises questions of how people use Ipods and other entertainment media. For other reasons other than entertainment I'm sure.
If you didn’t know any better you’d think mobile phones and Ipods were the same product. According to the Ipod website, the latest model has “music, audiobooks, podcasts, photos, video, contacts, calendars, games, clocks and locks”. Not the same as mobiles exactly, but they are heading in that direction.
Name the next word in the list: Walkmans, telephones, mobile phones, Ipod, ----?
Pod-phone perhaps? Any ideas, send them to Apple.
My point: technology is getting narrow-minded. ‘Technology’ and ‘functionality’ seem to go hand in hand nowadays. What that means for future entertainment media I’m not sure. Will the overall product quality be diluted because manufacturers try and add bits and pieces on the end? Is it the case presently? I liken it to a sports team. Do you pick specialists or players who can do a range of roles adequately?
posted by Anonymous at 5:31 pm
1 Comments:
great post. I think that is sort of the point of iPod's overtaking music, as technology makes it easier and cheaper (free) to download and listen to music, why would the masses bother paying for it? so where would anybody get any cash to record it?
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